Roundabout Playgroup

Roundabout Playgroup Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 113682 Inspection date 13/10/2010 Inspector Rosemary Musgrove

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Setting address Wick Church Hall, Wick Street, Littlehampton, West Sussex, BN17 7JS Telephone number 07946 283750 or 01903 722138 Email Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Introduction

The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10).

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Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

Roundabout Playgroup opened in 1968 and moved to its current premises in Wick Church Hall, near Littlehampton, West Sussex in 1996. Children have access to an outdoor play area. The playgroup opens five mornings a week during term time from 9.00 am until 12 noon. The playgroup is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register to care for 24 children in the early years age group. There are currently 28 children in this age group on roll. The playgroup is registered to receive government funding for nursery education. The playgroup supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. There are seven members of staff, of whom five hold appropriate early years qualifications. The playgroup receives support from the local authority.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Staff have an understanding of each child's needs and effectively support most welfare and learning requirements. This means that children are happy, enjoy their time at the playgroup and make progress in their learning and development. The temporary indoor environment is suitable and children choose their preferred play activity from a range of resources. Effective arrangements ensure that children are safe and secure in the playgroup. Partnerships with other agencies, schools, parents and carers are a strength and support the continuity of the children's care and learning. The playgroup evaluates some aspects of their practice and has made a number of positive changes and improvements.

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further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 request written parental permission for seeking emergency medical advice and treatment (safeguarding and children's welfare) 29/10/2010

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 develop a robust system for self-evaluation and quality improvement in order to improve the outcomes for children  review the organisation of the session, for example, resources and staff deployment, in order to ensure that children have more opportunities for independent and stimulating activities. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Staff attend regular child protection training and have a satisfactory knowledge of safeguarding; this means children are protected. Effective procedures are in place for identifying a child at risk of harm and liaising with the appropriate child agencies. Safe recruitment and vetting procedures mean that suitable staff work with the children. On a number of occasions, staff are suitably deployed and children are involved in their learning; however, sometimes the organisation of resources and staff deployment mean that children do not always have access to suitable, stimulating learning experiences. The playgroup has the majority of the required procedures and documentation for the safe and efficient running of the early years provision; however, they have not requested written parental permission for seeking emergency medical advice and treatment. This means children's welfare is at risk due to the lack of appropriate records. Suitable risk

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the early years provision

assessments mean that hazards are identified and minimised and children are protected from harm during their time at the playgroup.

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the early years provision

Currently, due to building works, the playgroup is in temporary accommodation. Staff have set up some areas to support learning and development, for example, dressing up, browsing books, physical activities and small world play. However, after a risk assessment of the outdoor area and exploring alternative options the playgroup do not currently offer outdoor play as a feature of their provision. Available resources are suitable for the age and developmental stage of the children and they learn about recycling packaging in order to minimise waste.

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the early years provision

The playgroup provides a service that is inclusive for all children. If children with special educational needs and/or disabilities require additional support the playgroup work with parents and other agencies. Children have opportunities to learn about the diverse world in which they live. They celebrate a variety of festivals, such as Easter, Ramadan and Chinese New Year. Children see positive images of people's differences through resources and books.

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the early years provision

The playgroup has established a positive relationship with parents and carers. When a child starts, parents complete a child record form and this gives details of individual needs. An 'All about me' sheet gives information about the children's routines and favourite things at home. There is a good range of information for parents, such as, the playgroup brochure, newsletters and a folder of procedures and policies. Parents have regular opportunities to discuss their child's progress and development and to browse their learning journal. Discussion with parents indicates they are happy with the playgroup. In particular, they comment on the development of their children's social skills and the key person system. The playgroup has established good working relationships with other settings and agencies, for example, when a child transfers to school they work together to ease the transition. This makes a positive contribution to the children's well-being.

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the early years provision

The manager and staff are motivated to develop and improve the playgroup. They attend training courses, such as child protection, and behaviour management. Since the last inspection, they have made a number of improvements, for example, This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 planning, observing and assessing the children. Self-evaluation demonstrates an understanding of some strengths and areas for future developments; however, this informal system is not robust enough to systematically evaluate and improve the outcomes for children.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and settled during their time at the playgroup. Staff have a working knowledge of the learning and development and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and an understanding of individual needs. Observational assessments and plans for each chid's next steps are developing well and learning journals clearly demonstrate that children make progress in the six areas of learning. On many occasions, staff interaction is a positive feature and contributes to the success of the children''s learning and development; for example, during musical activities children learn about a steady beat. There are opportunities for children to use mathematical language during day to day routines and they enthusiastically count their grapes during snack time. Children enjoy spontaneous play activities, such as, singing and dancing on a pretend stage. Their literacy skills are developing well and they browse books by themselves or

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and outcomes for children

enthusiastically join in with a story. Children are keen to take part in role play activities and in particular enjoy dressing up and hairdressing. They find out about the world in which they live when they visit the local post office and buy stamps for their letters.

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and outcomes for children

Children show they feel safe and secure in the playgroup and happily approach staff for help if needed. On arrival, they confidently find their name and place their belongings in a box. They choose a preferred activity, such as, mark making, completing a jigsaw puzzle or small world play. Children behave well in the playgroup; they share resources and are polite and respectful to one another. Staff are positive with the children and give them genuine praise.

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and outcomes for children

Currently, the playgroup is housed in temporary accommodation and children enjoy their play in a safe and secure environment. The playgroup has a number of safety precautions and procedures in place. These include guidance to follow if a child is missing or uncollected, fire evacuation procedures and a record of visitors. These guidelines help to keep children safe in the event of an emergency. Children learn to keep themselves and others safe, through gentle reminders, such as, when they use knives to prepare their fruit at snack time.

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and outcomes for children

Children begin to learn about a healthy lifestyle and independently wash and dry their hands after using the toilet and before eating food. The playgroup knows about dietary needs and children enjoy a range of healthy snacks, for example, apples and grapes. Currently, children engage in physical activities inside the building, such as, climbing, dancing and riding on wheeled vehicles. This means they are developing their coordination skills. Children develop their small motor skills as they confidently use glue spreaders to stick the fur and cotton wool on their rabbit. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 The playgroup helps children develop their skills for the future. They begin to use words to communicate their wishes and to explain what they are doing. They play with interactive toys and are motivated to find out what happens when they press the buttons on the fire engine. Children find out about the wider world through

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and outcomes for children

growing activities in the garden and when they visit schools in the local community. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 3 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 3 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 3 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 3 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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Stage

procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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